Web Optimization

Hey Everyone!
Yesterday I attended a lunch and learn on how to make your website appear first in line, when searched for. I often get this question from clients: "How do I get to the top of the Google list?" The answer was reiterated to me, yesterday.

Simply the five steps (and you can read more about them at: http://www.bluetraffic.com/local-marketing/5-steps-improve-online-visibility):

1. Start by learning how your potential customers are searching for you.
I often am asked how to come up with the best keywords? Bluetraffic.com has a great tidbit on this, but also I honestly sit at my google screen and say to myself, "if I were hunting for a local dress maker, what words would I use to google search them?" Then I do just that and see what comes up. That way I can decide if that's the location I want my website to come up in.

2. Look for ways to work your keyword phrases into your website.
Now I know, that without spellcheck I would not function very well. I'm reliant on spellcheck to do the spelling work for me, but I also know there are others out there that are just as bad at spelling and grammar as I am, hence use that as a tool. Think about how you may misspell something or use the jargon term instead of the actual term to find something? For example, it's not common that one searches for "incorporated" when searching for a company they are interested in. Most likely they search for the abbreviated term "inc." Keep that in mind when your choosing your keyword phrases or keywords.

3. Promote your website with social media
Has anyone seen the new movie, called The Social Network? It's a very powerful tool to advancing your business. People now a days spend a tremendous amount of time on such things as Facebook, Twitter, and My Space. As a business owner, you should use that knowledge to your advantage. Check out ping.com that will also help you post all at once, rather than trying to hire your teenage son/daughter to do such things for you. If your very serious about this sort of advertising, there are companies out there to assist you in that en devour, such as Bluetraffic.com or lavarow.com.

4. Open Google Places acct: www.google.com/local/add/businessCenter
Very good advice! This is a powerful tool to help people find you, not only in your own "website city address" but your local physical location.

5. Start a Google Adwords campaign at https://adwords.google.com/
I've talked about Google Adwords in the past. I have even had pretty good luck with landing customers out of Adword campaigns. I do think it's a matter of what your willing to do to get customer's though. If this is your lively hood and advertising is a must for you, then I'd agree that Google Adwords is probably one of the best tools out there for advertising. Other than Facebook Ads.

Well folks, this is just my opinion. I hope everyone has learned, what I think is the most important lesson, pay attention. Pay attention to your website, your content, your links, your life!

Peace,
Misty

The Artist's Way Challenge

Greetings Fellow Artists,
Julia Cameron has said it best with her book "The Artist's Way!" In this 12-week program she details a lesson plan that involves morning writings (3-pages daily of written thoughts!), sense of identity, power and integrity, a long with many other lessons. Julia's program is a challenging one that has most assuredly opened my artist block. Her program has helped me step outside of the box and into what I thought was impossible.

Working with many life coaches I've done the wheel of life exercise, that has you draw a circle and divide it into six pieces of pie, then label each one areas like spirituality, exercise, play, work, friends, romance, etc.. You are to draw a dot at the degree which are fulfilled in that area (outer rim indicates great, inner circle not so great). Then connect the dots to show where your pie is uneven. This is a very useful map in finding out the areas of which you need to improve in your life.

Julia furthers this by suggesting you create a map to help you protect your most sacred imagination! She suggests you draw a circle on a piece of paper. Inside the circle place the topics that you feel you should protect. Outside the circle place the names of those things and people that you must self protect your ideas from. Add names as appropriate to the inner and outer circle. I find this most intriguing, to write down the things that are important to you Sometimes without writing things down, we all forget what is important and what we should and shouldn't protect.

Maybe we all should try both of these exercises to find out what areas of our life we need to adjust to become more balanced, and what areas need to be protected.

Another challenge is the morning writings of thoughts. You are suggested to write 3 pages every morning with your thoughts, or maybe doing the book's homework. I've decided that writing on my blog is more useful to me and so expect to see more writings as it is my challenge for the year!

Ciao!
Misty

Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and how they work for you.

Hello World!
With so many things to keep track of this day and age, how is one to keep up with the task of updating all the things that the Internet creates. Updating your Facebook, My Space, Twitter, and even Blogger accounts can be daunting.

When researching this and carefully considering hiring a teenager to do such tasks for me, I came across http://ping.fm which will allow you to post to all sorts of networks with one post, instead of the dreaded logging in to each account and updating things one by one.

I think everyone needs to know about this! It's a free service and is incredibly user friendly! Check it out, sign up, and make this year's posts the most valuable of your business career!

Good Luck!
Misty